Because he is a counsel with a conscience. Because as public prosecutor, he won the Uphaar case in the trial court against the Ansals despite this being his first criminal trial in a lower court, pro bono for a fee of Re 1. Because when Mukesh and Anil Ambani fight, he represents the older brother but when Anil battles the spectrum case, he asks Salve to represent him.

Because he may be charging corporates fat cat fees but he is also idealistic enough to fight for human rights, whether it is defending Bilkis Bano in the Gujarat riots or Samir Hingora and Yakub Memon in the Bombay blast case. Because when it is Fali Nariman and Ram Jethmalani on one side, it is usually only Salve on the other. Because almost everyone on India Today’s power list has been represented by him.